There's something to be said for a movie that still has it within it's capacity to shock and thrill audiences 38 years after it was first released. While some of the scenes may not have quite the same punch they once had, The Omen still packs a wallop and is backed by a great cast led by Gregory Peck and expert direction by Richard Donner.
The film tells the story of a married couple, Robert (played by Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (played by Lee Remick). Robert has been notified that the son his wife just given birth to has died. He's convinced to adopt another baby, Damien, in his place so that his wife need not ever find out. It's a creepy notion, but he goes along with it because he wants to protect his wife, I guess. Anyway, things go well for awhile and they seem like a happy family. Robert is appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom and they move to London. Everything is going swimmingly until Damien's nanny commits suicide by tying a noose around her neck and jumping off the roof of the house in front all the guests at Damien's 5th Birthday party. It's the first of several horrifying death sequences this series would become known for. Before long, a new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (played by Billie Whitelaw) comes along. To Robert and Katherine, she seems perfectly sweet, but her true colors quickly show when she meets Damien (played by Harvey Stephens) and identifies herself as his protector.
Meanwhile, Robert is frequently bumping into a priest, Father Brennan (played by Patrick Troughton), who is desperately trying to warn Robert of the true nature of his adopted son. Also lurking about is Jennings (played by David Warner), a photojournalist trying to figure out why pictures he's taking have odd imperfections in them. It quickly becomes clear that they are foreshadowing people's deaths. As the body count rises, Jennings and Robert team up to find out the truth and discover that Damien is foretold to be the Anti-Christ and it is up to Robert to destroy him. Will Robert be able to go through with it and kill his own son? Considering there are two more entries in this series (we don't talk about the "fourth" one), eh, probably not.
Even though the ending has been thoroughly spoiled by now just by the fact that there are two well known sequels that feature Damien as well, The Omen is still a superior thrill ride. I've always liked movies like this that are seeped in a sort of prophetic, gothic horror. People giving dire warnings of what will come to pass and this film is filled with it. Yet, it grounds everything in reality. It's a nice touch by Richard Donner and screenwriter David Seltzer to not have anything overtly supernatural in the movie. It's all suggestive and a rational explanation can be made for most anything that happens. Of course, by the end, the prophecies are proven to be true and it's revealed Damien really is the Anti-Christ. But by keeping things grounded, the characters don't seem quite so dumb for refusing to believe the truth. Then you pair this with the still horrifying death scenes, especially the famous decapitation that was edited so that people who looked away would look back and still see the head spinning in midair, and you have the recipe for a memorable scary movie.
Of course, one cannot review The Omen without talking about the amazing and frightening score done by Jerry Goldsmith. He adds so much creepiness and gravitas to the film with his music, he certainly deserved the Academy Award he won for it. The themes are absolutely iconic and Richard Donner himself said the film wouldn't have been half as scary without it.
The Omen remains one of my all time favorite scary movies along with the two that followed it (those reviews are forthcoming over the next two days). They still remain chilling and scary after all these years. Yet, there's also something a little goofy and over the top about them that makes me love them all the more.
The film tells the story of a married couple, Robert (played by Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (played by Lee Remick). Robert has been notified that the son his wife just given birth to has died. He's convinced to adopt another baby, Damien, in his place so that his wife need not ever find out. It's a creepy notion, but he goes along with it because he wants to protect his wife, I guess. Anyway, things go well for awhile and they seem like a happy family. Robert is appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom and they move to London. Everything is going swimmingly until Damien's nanny commits suicide by tying a noose around her neck and jumping off the roof of the house in front all the guests at Damien's 5th Birthday party. It's the first of several horrifying death sequences this series would become known for. Before long, a new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (played by Billie Whitelaw) comes along. To Robert and Katherine, she seems perfectly sweet, but her true colors quickly show when she meets Damien (played by Harvey Stephens) and identifies herself as his protector.
Meanwhile, Robert is frequently bumping into a priest, Father Brennan (played by Patrick Troughton), who is desperately trying to warn Robert of the true nature of his adopted son. Also lurking about is Jennings (played by David Warner), a photojournalist trying to figure out why pictures he's taking have odd imperfections in them. It quickly becomes clear that they are foreshadowing people's deaths. As the body count rises, Jennings and Robert team up to find out the truth and discover that Damien is foretold to be the Anti-Christ and it is up to Robert to destroy him. Will Robert be able to go through with it and kill his own son? Considering there are two more entries in this series (we don't talk about the "fourth" one), eh, probably not.
Even though the ending has been thoroughly spoiled by now just by the fact that there are two well known sequels that feature Damien as well, The Omen is still a superior thrill ride. I've always liked movies like this that are seeped in a sort of prophetic, gothic horror. People giving dire warnings of what will come to pass and this film is filled with it. Yet, it grounds everything in reality. It's a nice touch by Richard Donner and screenwriter David Seltzer to not have anything overtly supernatural in the movie. It's all suggestive and a rational explanation can be made for most anything that happens. Of course, by the end, the prophecies are proven to be true and it's revealed Damien really is the Anti-Christ. But by keeping things grounded, the characters don't seem quite so dumb for refusing to believe the truth. Then you pair this with the still horrifying death scenes, especially the famous decapitation that was edited so that people who looked away would look back and still see the head spinning in midair, and you have the recipe for a memorable scary movie.
Of course, one cannot review The Omen without talking about the amazing and frightening score done by Jerry Goldsmith. He adds so much creepiness and gravitas to the film with his music, he certainly deserved the Academy Award he won for it. The themes are absolutely iconic and Richard Donner himself said the film wouldn't have been half as scary without it.
The Omen remains one of my all time favorite scary movies along with the two that followed it (those reviews are forthcoming over the next two days). They still remain chilling and scary after all these years. Yet, there's also something a little goofy and over the top about them that makes me love them all the more.
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